Stevie eager to face former Bills teammate

Stevie Johnson credits going against Jabari Greer every week in practice for improving his game.

When Stevie Johnson was a rookie he found himself inactive most Sundays. So to improve his game, Johnson made the most of running the scout team plays during the practice week against the team’s starting defense. Week in and week out Johnson worked to make plays, and the guy he faced most often is a Saints cornerback he’ll likely face on several snaps Sunday in New Orleans.

Back in 2008, Johnson was feeling his way through his first NFL season. On the other side of the ball CB Jabari Greer was a starting cornerback hoping for a new long-term contract.

Johnson credits going against Greer every week in practice for improving his game.

“I was scout team and he was running with the ones and we were just going at it,” said Johnson. “He got me right. He got me right here.”

Greer only appeared in 10 games for the Bills that season, but had a pair of interceptions, both of which he returned for touchdowns. In the offseason he signed a long-term contract with the Saints and won a Super Bowl a year later.

Meanwhile Johnson developed into Buffalo’s number one receiver and became the first receiver in team history to post three consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons. Johnson is eager to show Greer and the rest of the Saints secondary how far his game has come.

“I’m excited to go against him because I want to show him that I’ve gotten better,” Johnson said. “That’ll be a little of the motivation for myself to see Jabari out there, but at the end of the day I’m pretty sure I’ll be seeing most of their other cornerbacks also working in the slot and being on each side. And I don’t believe they follow receivers so I’ll be getting a dose of (Keenan) Lewis and Jabari.”

Johnson and the Bills are well aware they go into New Orleans an underdog, but it doesn’t seem to bother them.

“It’s nothing new. We don’t even think about it,” said Johnson. “It’s pretty much every game we’ll probably be underdogs and we don’t really mind it. We just go out and play.”